Hero Complex
by LaraRae
Summary: Toby Logan is a paramedic with a hero complex; what happens when he meets someone who doesn't want saving? Rated T for language and theme.


A/N: I'm not a doctor, nor a paramedic. I've researched but I'm sure there are flaws. Use your imagination :)

Don't forget to Read and Review – It makes me write faster!

"Hey Pete." Toby nodded at the police officer as he grabbed his and Oz's bag from the back of the ambulance.

"Hey Logan, Oz." Pete nodded at the duo.

"What've we got?" Oz asked, unloading the stretcher.

Toby dropped the bags onto the stretcher and took the other end.

"Possible suicide attempt in progress. Patient's friend called in worried, says she was on the phone with her friend Rennie and that she sounded off. Has been depressed for a couple weeks, prior attempts."

_Damn kids. Pulling this shit for attention. I just want to get home and see Carolyn._

Toby eyed Pete's partner, Jay Stanton, who happened to turn and meet his gaze. Toby smiled, but Jay's lips didn't budge. "What does someone have to be going through to want to end their life." Toby pondered aloud, still watching Jay for a reaction.

Oz, beside him, gave him an elbow to the ribs – well aware of the stand off between the police officer and his partner. _Leave it alone Toby._

Toby relented and looked away. Yes, they worked together with PD and fire, but that wasn't to say they didn't have their friction. And while Toby knew a fair number of paramedics that felt the same way as Officer Stanton it was in their job description to care. Plus, Toby knew a thing or two about unhappy childhoods.

"This girl know we're coming?" Pete broke the silence.

Oz nodded. "Emergency dispatch said they gave her a call, told her paramedics were on the way."

"Great. So she knows _paramedics_ are coming, but not us cops." Pete said, stopping at the front door. _This ought to be fun_. "What's the buzzer number?" he asked, looking at Jay.

"1249."

Pete punched in the number and the four waited as the phone rang.

And rang.

Pete sighed, punching the number button to hang up, and began looking for the super's apartment number. "Dammit."

"What?" Toby asked.

"Super isn't listed, it's just last names."

"Just punch in anyone." Oz said. "We do it all the time."

"Yeah, and wait for five minutes for some trusting individual to finally buzz us in." Toby pointed out. "Watch out Pete. I got this." Toby said, grabbing his keys from his shoulder panel.

"What's this? You a professional lock picker now?"

"Emergencies only, Pete. Relax."

"You know the crap you could get into with a bump key, Logan? I could nail you right here for B&E, intent and possession."

"Sure, but you won't." Toby flashed a smug smile.

"Yeah, and why not?"

"Because we both know sometimes you gotta work around the system Barnes – and even if you did haul me in it's worth the lives I've saved with it so far."

"Yeah. Last week there was a 53 year old dementia patient, choking. She wouldn't unlock the doors but had left an open line with dispatch and voila."

Pete sighed, turning his head away. "I've seen nothing."

Toby grinned, opening the door with one fluid motion.

"Looks like you've got some practise there, Logan." Jay smirked.

"I always seem to forget my apartment key in my work locker." He grinned tightly.

"Sixth floor." Oz said, punching the button for the elevator. They crammed on as it arrived.

"So what's the plan, guys?"

Pete shrugged. "You knock. Tell her EMS is here. She opens the door, if we see anything in sight we get to go in, no problems."

"And if we don't see anything?" Oz asked.

"We try and charm our way in."

Oz knocked loudly on the door.

"What?" a young woman's voice yelled from the other side.

"Rennie? It's EMS. Can you open the door?"

_Fuck. How did they even get in?_

"We just want to see that you're okay, then we can go away." Toby called through the door, closing his eyes as a swirl of colour and confusion swept through his consciousness.

"I'm fine."

"That's great, but we still gotta see you. Your friend's worried about you."

_Shouldn't have told her anything._

Toby, leaning slightly against the door to listen, almost fell in as the door swung inward.

A young woman, probably in her mid-twenties with tangled blonde hair stood in the doorway, glass in her hand. "I'm fine, see?" _I'll be better when you all leave. Shit. The cops too? Dammit Nicolle._

"How are ya feeling today?" Pete asked, giving the girl a tentative smile.

"I'm doing fine. My friend completely overreacted. I'm so sorry for bringing you guys all the way out here. I tried to tell the woman on the phone that you didn't have to come but-"

"It's procedure." Pete smiled softly. "What do you have in the glass, Rennie?"

"Water." She replied, a little too quickly. _None of your damn business. None of this is anyone's business. Why can't they just all leave me alone?_

Toby glanced at Oz and, to his credit, his partner was somewhat of a mind reader as well.

"Smells like it isn't water, Rennie. We're not here to bust you about drinking; we just want to see how you are." Oz told her calmly.

_I'm fantastic. Just leave me alone._

"Can we come in? Sit and talk a bit?" Jay asked.

_No. No they can't come in or they'll see. They'll take me to the hospital. I'm not going back to the hospital. No way._ "I'm not really in the talking mood." The girl smiled, straightening her posture.

"Have you taken any pills today?"

Toby shook his head, staring at the girl in disbelief. There was no way she'd taken all those and was still standing here talking to them. He'd seen her with bottles laid out in front of her, on her bed. All empty. Piles of pills in front of her. Swallowing one at a time, then two. Then handfuls. A large bottle of vodka. Shaky hands pouring a glass and then taking a drink from the bottle.

"No." Rennie replied, squeezing her eyes closed and reaching a hand out to the wall beside her.

"Your pupils." Toby blurted out.

Four pairs of eyes stared at him.

"Your pupils are dilated."

_What? No they – Oh._ "Yeah." Oz cleared his throat. "We should at least take your blood pressure."

Rennie stood in the doorway, biting her lower lip. _Shit. Shit. Shit. I'm pretty sure I covered the bottles with the comforter. I can't look back or they might notice. Play it cool. Make them go away so this can be over._ She took a breath, "Fine. You can come in." She backed up a bit.

_So dizzy. Just want to lay down. No. Focus. Focus._

"Maybe you should sit down." Toby directed her to the bed, watching Pete and Jay from the corner of his eye. They started stepping around her, looking around the apartment for anything that would give a clearer picture.

_There's nothing here. What a tiny apartment. I think it's about the size of my living room. God I just want to get home. See Carolyn and the kids. Grab a beer, relax. This girl's not in any trouble. I doubt she's taken anything – just expressing her drunken woes to her friend on the phone._

Oz, kneeling beside Toby, wrapped the girl's arm in a blood pressure cuff, putting his stethoscope into the crook of her arm.

"How old are you, Rennie?"

"Twenty four."

"Any allergies?"

"No."

_This isn't like last time at all. This is it, I know it. Even if I pass out now, they won't know what I took. I'll be dead before they can figure it out._

"What did you take, Rennie?" Toby demanded.

So many bottles. Months of them. Orange and blue. Caps all over the place. Piles of pills. Lithium. Lorazepam. Olanzapine. Seroquel. Codeine. Percocet.

"How much alcohol have you had today?" Pete asked.

"Just...only a glass." Rennie blinked and swayed.

"How's the BP Oz?"

"Low. Too low. I'm surprised she's sitting."

"I don't think she will be much longer." He whispered back.

"Hey Pete. Are those pill bottles there? Under the covers?" Toby eyed the officer, raising his eyebrows.

_I don't see anything._

Jay, the closest, pulled back the covers, unveiling the hidden bottles and wrappers. _Now how the hell did Logan know that? Am I losing it? Why didn't I see that?_

"You take all those today?" Oz asked, grabbing Rennie's face between his hands and checking her eyes.

She pulled her head backwards, dropping her glass and sending vodka everywhere, then promptly fell backwards and rolled onto the floor.

"Let's get going." Toby said. "We don't have much time."

"I've got the bottles." Pete declared grabbing them and putting them into a grocery bag from the counter. _Jesus. Did she really take all these? There's no way._

"Call it in Oz." Toby said, lurching towards the stretcher that was still in the hall. Jay stood, propping the door open.

"Dispatch. This is Unit 960. We're coming in with a 24 year old female, combined prescription drug overdose, BP is 60/40, tachycardic, Pulse 150."

"10-4 960. Notifying the hospital now."

"She's gonna crash, Oz. I can feel it." Toby said, snapping a collar in place.

"You mean –"

"No. I don't see it. I just _feel_ it." Toby replied lowering the stretcher and putting the backboard beside the girl. "On three."

Together they transferred Rennie to the backboard and loaded her onto the stretcher.

"Get the shoulder straps."

"Got 'em. Let's roll." Oz said, piling one of the bags on Rennie's feet, the other one over his shoulder.

Please R&R!


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